Angels in Disguise
by LordK
Summary: An angel is flying throughout Gaia, aiding the people. But for an angel, this creature seems alll too human. Rated for slight language.
1. Silver hair, blue Feathers

This is my first FF fanfic, and as such it is bit the best fic ever. But it is the first chapter, so there's still room for improvement. Anyway, I need "constructive criticism" to fix it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any Final Fantasy, but I do own a character or two  
  
A single pale blue feather floated down onto the surface of the water. A blue-eyed girl looked on as the angel flew away, his silvery colored hair streaking like a steel rainbow behind his head. She looked down, picked up the little feather, and ran after him until her little legs could carry her no farther. "Was that an angel?" she wondered to herself  
  
Far away in the city of Alexandria, a king wondered the same thing. Zidane Tribal sighed, seeing the hundredth report from Alexandria's scholars. It was not possible. This "angel" didn't exist. At least the scholars said so. But with all the reports, even if they were from children, it had to be true. And with all the things that Zidane had seen, he'd believe anything. "Zidane, are you in here?" Came his wife's small voice.  
  
"Yeah, Dagger, I am." Zidane replied. His wife giggled at the alias-turned- pet-name he had called her as she walked in. Garnet had grown so much since their travels together. She had transformed from a young, innocent girl into a self-assured, powerful queen. Her presence was no longer minute; when she walked into a room, she radiated calm and serenity, but at the same time people felt the strength and street smarts she had gained through her travels, which were now known as the Genome War. It had been named for the species of the protagonist and the antagonist of the war, Zidane and Kuja. Zidane and his band of adventurers were now known as the Army of Eight, and were permanent members of the Gaian Silver Guard. Dr. Tot had formed the Guard, despite Zidane's insistence that Gaia would never face anything like the War in their lifetimes. But, they couldn't possibly know what the Guard would face in the years to come.  
  
"Hello, Zidane." She said, smiling, then when he didn't answer she added, "Are you still worrying about the so-called angel?"  
  
"Well, yes." He admitted, as there was no use in hiding anything from his wife; she would pry the truth out of him one way or the other.  
  
"I've tried to tell you this before but I am telling you, once again, that the angel is not real. You are wasting your time, time that you could be spending with your wife." She said, glaring at him.  
  
"Sorry! My love, my darling, please forgive me." He said, feigning sorrow  
  
"Zidane, be serious."  
  
"When was I ever serious?"  
  
"Zidane! I am trying to deal with a problem in our marriage and you are making light of it. AGAIN."  
  
"Okay, okay, but really, you were there when we saw the crystal, where we were. After seeing that."  
  
"Anything is possible, I know. I've heard it a million times, and dammit, I don't care. "  
  
"Really, such horrible language for a queen! Who taught you that?" He joked  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny." She shouted, very not amused, "Look, you are going to give this up, now. You have spent more time, and more of Alexandria's money, might I add, on this stupid project! You are so, so, stupid!"  
  
" I'm telling you, anything is possible. If some weirdo born to blow up the world can figure that out, surely the world's kindest, prettiest, most wonderful queen in the world can." He said, smiling and trying to placate her, but he did want to prove himself, "So, I insist that the angel is real. Besides, I even talked to Tot, he agrees with me."  
  
"Whatever." She said, ignoring the part about Dr. Tot, "You don't know what's going on. I am the queen of Alexandria, and you are the king, not the head of pointless research. "  
  
"But I..." He said, trying to get a word in  
  
"You know, sometimes, I think you love the idea of an angel more than the idea of a wife." She complained, "And besides, I know you. You could care less if there's an angel or not! You just want to busy your time, because you can't deal with Kuja being dead. You don't want to think about anything, and you shut everything out for no reason. Or maybe you think that will bring him back?"  
  
"He's not dead!" He shouted, her having found the one thing that would make him angry with the woman he loved, "How could he die? You saw him! He was so...so..."  
  
"He is dead. Deal with it." She declared flatly  
  
"I am telling you, princess, that he is alive." He shouted, calling her princess, as he did when he was angry with her.  
  
I refuse to have this argument. He is dead. You are so... ugh!" She said, turning to leave the room, with tiny tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
"I love you." He offered  
  
"I, well, I guess I love you too. You're too cute to hate." She conceded "I can't ever seem to stay mad at you. But surely you can take a break for your wife, right?"  
  
"Ah, I guess." He said, taking his queen by the hand and leading her outside, "Come on, let's go do something."  
  
"But we're the king and queen!" She protested  
  
"And I am an ex-thief." He reminded her, smiling  
  
"Then take me away." She said  
  
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"If I weren't an angel I'd kill you." He said, staring the other man's eyes, trying to probe his mind for any hint of information  
  
"But you can't kill, can you?" The man replied  
  
"Desperate cases call for desperate measures." He retorted, "Besides, I know you've heard it. You've heard what happens when this angel isn't..."  
  
"Oh, I know."  
  
"And it'll be over soon, you know."  
  
"No it won't."  
  
The angel glared angrily at the idiot sitting across the table from him. His silver hair started to lose color and brilliance. His soft hands started to glow scarlet. His wings looked as if there was a small fire spreading through the feathers at the bottom. His eyes held a faint glow, then it quickly faded and he reverted to normal.  
  
"Don't test me." The angel said, restraining his fury  
  
"That's my job." The man stated simply, sounding completely calm and superior. It was incredible aggravating  
  
"Shut up." The angel demanded  
  
"That's not my job." The man stated in the same voice The angel stormed out of the room, before his tormenting compatriot could further infuriate him.  
  
A FEW MINUTES LATER.  
  
The angel looked at himself in the mirror. He had changed so much since the day he was born. Or reborn, as Illian would say. His eyes were a delicate blue; his shirt was all too bright and shiny. His coat was a black, for contrast to his hair and dress. His pants, made of a long, flowing cloth, slid down his leg. Of course, they looked more like robes than pants, but he didn't care. Angels weren't supposed to be concerned with fashion. He wondered, for about the fiftieth time that day, why he had been chosen. He had been the worst of villains in his previous life. And he had been so hated back then. Oh well, the past no longer mattered... Suddenly an alarm sounded in his brain. His wings spread, by themselves. The angel quickly allowed his soft, pale blue wings to spread fully and flew out of the small sky base, and allowed his wings to carry him to wherever he was needed. As he flew through the air, feeling the cool wind blow through his hair and his breathy outfit, he smiled, enjoying himself. This was one of the few good points of being an angel. But it was so wonderful. As he approached his destination, he suddenly did not want to go anywhere anymore. He willed the wings to stop their descent, to fly back to the base. But they refused, driven by their inherent attraction to trouble, and their need to help people. He barely stopped himself from groaning aloud as he landed in the place he least wanted to be in. Alexandria.  
  
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So how was it? Please read and review! I don't even know whether or not to continue the 'fic! So if no one reviews... 


	2. Alexandria's Angel

LordK: Its chapter 2, what do you know! Oh, and I promise this is the last chapter that the angel will remain nameless. Next chapter I will give him a name.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing, I don't own nothing! Except the characters that I made up! And the plot, but not the setting. So pretty please do not sue me!  
  
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The angel sighed, giving in to the wings that were beyond earthly control, allowing them to bring him nearer and nearer to the ground. He heard a young boy, no more than two pointing to him, and announcing to his mother, "Mommy, look! Up there, look!" the child shouted  
  
"Is there something up there? I don't see anything." His mother replied in a soft tone  
  
"It's a man with wings!" He continued  
  
"There's nothing up there, Lelio." She stated  
  
"But there is, there is!" He insisted  
  
"There is nothing up there!" She exclaimed, in perhaps too harsh a tone, and then sighed to herself, "Hallucinations are not supposed to be part of the 'terrible twos'"  
  
The angel laughed, seeing the child's perseverance in declaring that there was a "man with wings" funny thing is, he was right.  
  
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Zidane and Dagger snuck out of the castle, both of them in soldier's uniforms, succeeding in slipping past the witless Knights of Pluto, who had in no means shaped up since the Genome War. They were still as clueless as ever, even if their captain was a war hero.  
  
"You should guard this place better, Queen Garnet. A thief could come and steal you away very easily, you know." Zidane laughed as they effortlessly escaped the notice of the guards.  
  
"Maybe I want a thief to take me." She countered as they walked out of the palace doors.  
  
"You do?" He asked playfully  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Well, then allow me!" He said, sweeping her off her feet. He took off running towards the gates of Alexandria.  
  
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The task before him was less than daunting. It was the kind of work one would expect one of the clueless soldiers to perform. But the tasks he preformed, although seemingly pointless, were just penance for his old crimes. And, as he did not deny he did the crimes, now was the moment to do the proverbial time.  
  
"Do I really have to do this?" The angel inquired, looking vaguely towards where he thought Heaven might be. There was no answer, but as his wings refused to spread, he assumed he was stuck with the task before him. With a flick of his wrist he knocked the advancing thugs to the ground. "Are you okay?" he whispered to the young woman who he had just saved, forgetting that his words would sound like nothing but the rustling of wind to her. The young woman, not so much as bothering to question her good fortune, quickly ran past her unseen savior, leaving him with yet another completed task. But he found his sky blue wings still refusing to comply with his request to return to the skies. Clearly there was another task here. He groaned, knowing that every second longer he stayed in Alexandria, the more chance he had of encountering someone that he did not wish to meet.  
  
The angel strolled the streets of Alexandria, not knowing exactly where he was intended to be. He thought briefly about leaving and simply walking until he was out of Alexandria. But no sooner had he decided on that course of action than he heard shouting coming from the city gates.  
  
"Back to work." He sighed  
  
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"My charming queen, pleasure to meet you," said a strange intruder to Alexandria, "My name is,"  
  
"Scumbag, we don't care what your name is!" Zidane snarled, interrupting the trespasser, "Just let go of Garnet!"  
  
"My name is Davall. And it is rude to interrupt, Zidane! Oh, and as to your request, sorry, no can do." Said Davall politely, holding the unconscious Garnet in his arms  
  
"How do you know my name?" Zidane asked, " Forget it, Shut up and give me back Garnet before I have to," Zidane warned  
  
"Do what, hit me with your tail?" Davall countered.  
  
A strange wind passed through the crowd, arriving at the city gate and stopping. Of course, the wind was actually the angel, who was suddenly captivated by Princess Garnet. He seemed almost afraid to move.  
  
"Someone give me a weapon!" Zidane ordered. Seemingly from nowhere, a dagger flashed through the air to him, "Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome, Zidane." The angel replied. Zidane shot forward like a rocket, aiming his dagger at Davall's neck.  
  
"You'd have done better with the tail." Davall laughed as he watched Zidane's attack glance off him harmlessly, "Here," he said to one of his men, "take our honored guest back to Tierra. If I'm not on the ship in five minutes take the girl and come back for me. Tierra will tell you what to do."  
  
"Don't you dare take her, or I-I'll..." The angel cried, his voice not even registering to anyone but Zidane.  
  
"NO! I refuse to let you take her!" Zidane called, then lunged again, this time at the man Davall was motioning to hand Dagger to. The man's face gave the impression that he was truly frightened, but once again the attack bounced away, not causing so much as a scratch on the man, even though he appeared to have no armor of any kind on. Looking as though he was surprised that the attack had been ineffective, the man took Dagger, who was still unconscious, and vanished.  
  
"Where did he take her?" The angel demanded of anyone who could hear  
  
"You heard him, back to Tierra! I can handle this guy, go find her!" He shouted back to a voice no one else could hear.  
  
"How did you hear me?" The angel inquired  
  
"GO NOW!" Zidane commanded  
  
"I'm going!" The angel replied, his wings now finally complying with his mind's charge.  
  
"I'll tail you in the airship as soon as I beat this guy." Zidane announced,, and then he turned to Davall and finished, "Which shouldn't take too long."  
  
Davall's eyes grew wide, as he saw the transformation begin. Zidane's eyes began to glow in an unearthly way. His hair suddenly changed from its usual blonde to a strange pinkish color. His whole body was soon engulfed in light  
  
"This is what happens when you mess with Dagger, scumbag." Zidane said, just before the change took complete effect. The glowing and tranced Zidane coursed with power, energy flowing through his veins like water. He muttered some ethereal words and cast a strange spell. In the milliseconds it traveled through the charged air, Davell was completely stunned by fear. He tried at the last second to lesson the force of the blow with Shell, but it was too late. Clutching his chest where the spell had hit, and barely holding on to his last reserves of life, he teleported away.  
  
"Damn, I wanted him to die." Zidane sighed. He too preformed his own form of teleportation (which was actually just really fast running) and dashed off towards the airship hangar.  
  
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There! How was that? All that's left to say is. PLEASE *Read and Review* PLEASE 


	3. Akiel

A\N: Much longer chapter than the last two. I'm *finally* getting into the plot. At the end there are several flashbacks. There are all the same person, just in a different place. The flashbacks are in chronological order in the person's life. Confused yet? You'll understand when you get there (I hope.)  
  
Jack: Thank you for the feedback. And I'm having loads of fun!  
  
Dragon Lady8: Thank you! I was trying hard to keep them in character, as that's not one of my strong points, so I'm glad it worked! Um, and Nina, I didn't name anybody supercalafragial whatever, as I cannot even spell it.  
  
Disclaimer: Do not sue me! Do not sue the sight! I do not own FF. I own the plot and a few characters! So do not sue me!  
  
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CHAPTER 3- "Akiel"  
  
The pinkish hue around Zidane began to fade, as he reached the Invincible in the hangar. Quietly he willed away the spirits of Trance and walked up the ramp into the Invincible. It rose slowly and began to hover, waiting for the clueless Knight of Pluto to figure out how to push a lever so that he could open the gate. No less than ten minutes later the Invincible was finally in the air.  
  
"Rusty and his damn Pluto Knights! I don't have time to wait! I have to find Dagger!" Zidane raged, to no one in particular. Now was not the time to have to deal with the Pluto Knight's bumbling. He was furious. Dagger was missing, and nothing would stop him from annihilating whoever took her.  
  
"Especially not people who are supposed to work for me!" He thought. After he calmed down, he tried to think logically. From what he remembered of the fight with Davall, before he had become tranced, these kidnappers were skilled in defensive magic. There was also something else, something strange about them that he couldn't quite understand. He vaguely remembered something about their eyes, something that wasn't quite right, something unnatural. From what he had heard about the angel, he had become fairly certain that they were telepathic. He would need someone that was more powerful than the average soldier to help him, and there was no time to go to Lindblum or call the Silver Guard (not that he thought having a "silver guard" was necessary). The angel would have to do.  
  
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Tierra prowled the halls of her castle, cat-like in her movements, her dress, her features. She looked like a cat. Here she was called a queen. Long ago, she was called a witch.  
  
"And soon," she said to herself, "A goddess." A lone soldier ran up to her, waving his arms frantically, screaming, "A live one, a live one!"  
  
"Perhaps my little plaything has some use after all." She whispered to herself. Davall was approaching, with Garnet in his arms. His whole face was covered in his haughty grin.  
  
"My lady, I have completed my task, in my arms lies the summoner of Alexandria." He announced, as much to his own assembled peers as to Tierra herself.  
  
She wanted so desperately to say something disparaging to wipe that idiotic grin of his face, but she decided against it. She would allow her puppet a little light, so that he could taste the power of fame.  
  
"I see you have. My pleasure rests upon you. Where are your servant-men that I might congratulate them as well?" She asked, having read his mind.  
  
Davall distinctly thought he heard sarcasm in that tone, but ignored it. How could she know that the little king had beaten him so badly? Well, it was often said of her line that they knew things that no one else could know. He had no more time to dwell on this, for he knew that his queen was rather impatient.  
  
"They linger still in the Room of Mana, replenishing their strength. Shall your servant fetch them?"  
  
"No, I must discuss something with you privately. And bring the girl." She added, gesturing towards Garnet  
  
"Yes my liege." He responded with a hint of nervousness  
  
"Soldiers, fetch the servants of Davall." She finished, and waved her hand, signifying that the conversation was indeed over. She motioned for Davall to come into her dark chamber. He followed gingerly.  
  
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The angel was hovering just above the surface of the ocean, focusing intently on the many signatures of energy floating around him. It had become much easier to sense energy after the fall of the Iifa Tree. Zidane's signature had faded significantly a few moments ago. It had also become very muddled, hidden within a much larger one.  
  
"There he is." He said, having finally caught Zidane's energy. He had a clear, focused signal now. He still wondered about the other signal.  
  
"Please don't let it be that dammed..." He stopped suddenly. His pale blue feathers were slowly turning a bright blood red. He felt his control slipping. He knew that thoughts of his old life would only bring about more misery. But it would feel so good to be free of Heaven's control, to have his own wings.  
  
"No." He said simply, mastering his more basic instinct, "I've got to find her. And that will NOT help."  
  
He allowed his wings to carry him forward, towards Zidane's signature. The signal was strong, Zidane must have been focusing very intently. The angel wondered whether Zidane could sense energy as well, for his signature seemed to be getting nearer. He needed to find Garnet soon, so that he could leave those remnants of his past behind. They weren't suitable for an angel. Especially an angel that needed to stay a hidden angel.  
  
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Tierra glared at the pitiful form of Garnet. She was still unconscious. Davall must have used something much too strong. She should've already been awake.  
  
"Tierra?" Davall asked uncertainly  
  
"You may address me as Tierra." Tierra conceded  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Now, tell me, how did you survive the king's attack?"  
  
"You know about that?"  
  
"Surely you know there are no secrets to the Priestess of Jupiter. Secrets displease me."  
  
"Oh, yes, I knew."  
  
"No you didn't."  
  
"You're right, of course. Well, my lady, the king changed. He started glowing strangely, and his eyes glazed over." Davall said, his eyes grew wide. He was afraid of the memory of Trance. Not that anyone could blame him.  
  
"Yes, I thought as much." She muttered, "Continue."  
  
"Well, he stopped talking and just glared at me. I knew from the profile that he could not use magic, but that must have been incorrect. Not to criticize your profile, my liege!" He added quickly, in fear of her wrath.  
  
"There is no need to fear. I realize not all of my soldiers are as competent as you." She responded, placating with just a hint of sarcasm, like spices in her speech.  
  
"He whispered a few words and then, he just..."  
  
"He what?"  
  
"It was like there was pure magic. It was as if it was flowing out of him, smashing into me. It was like, like, I don't... I can't, I-I just... It was..." He choked, barely able to speak the enormity of Trance. With those images running through his head he could only whisper, "I-I nearly died."  
  
"I see. You may go. I must speak to the girl."  
  
"I nearly died." He croaked, reliving the experience  
  
"DAVALL! Leave now, before I show you things that will terrify you far more than a little boy and his crazed magic. You don't want me to have to hurt you, do you?" She said, smiling a seductive smile, almost as if she wanted him to stay. Almost as if she wanted to hurt someone, purely for the sake of destruction.  
  
"I'm going!" He said, running quickly out of the presence of his crazed queen  
  
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"There he is!" Zidane cried. He was surprised that his plan had worked. The Invincible seemed to be in tune with his Terran physiology, so he had just concentrated as hard as he could on the angel, and willed the Invincible forward. He was sure that the angel was nearing him too. But there was something different...  
  
"What the hell?!" He suddenly screamed, seeing the angel.  
  
The angel was writhing in pain.  
  
"That ship!" The Angel cried, "No. No! NO!" His pale blue feathers burned. It was as if they ignited with blood red flames, spreading throughout his wings. His eyes glowed blood red as well. His hair was charred black as the angel went up in flames. His whole being was consumed in flames. If he had not already passed through death, he would have thought he was dying. Even his dress changed. It was ripped to shreds. The broken shards of his clothing hung like loose rage from his tourtured being. He closed his eyes. The vision appeared.  
  
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/Flash/- Madain Sari  
  
The room was decorated in black marble. The Ian-Iku, the shaman, sat on the throne of the ancestry. He was young, foolish, but tied to a sense of responsibility. He wanted to do what was best. And he thought this was best.  
  
"Akiel, son of the line of princes. The gods have spoken. I have spoken. Leave."  
  
"Ian-Iku, I implore, spare me. The rain of sorrow has fallen onto my house. My lady has lost her son. Shall you add still more sorrow? And what of my daughter, that lies in her mother's womb? Crimes? She has committed none!"  
  
"But thou hast, knave. Leave."  
  
/Flash/- The Conde Petie Mountain Pass  
  
"My sweet, my love." He said broodingly, "He who has taken you from me shall fall to my hand. I swear vengance!" He changed his mind. One man was not enough.  
  
"No, no, all must suffer. My sorrow shall fall upon the world!"  
  
Akiel stood alone in the Great Passage. He thought for a moment. He did not know where to turn. He had been led here by the soldiers of Ian-Iku. It was wrong. And nothing was right.  
  
/Flash/- A castle on the Forgotten Continent  
  
"Never again. I repent. I lay myself on your mercy. Forgive me as I could not forgive this world."  
  
Akiel kneeled before the few last inhabitants of the civilization he had destroyed. With a few summons, the once-thriving city had fallen to his fury. He had never wanted their riches, or their technological prowess. He had wanted to kill. He had wanted death. He wanted practice for the day that he would return to his homeland as the mightiest summoner to ever live. He thought that he would need more power so avenge those who needed no avenging. He saw the error of his ways, much like a Genome would years later, the moment that his power was broken. He almost died at the hands of Sashin and his crew. He now humbled his broken self before the princes of the land.  
  
"Some among us cannot forgive you. Many can. However, here I am king." Sashin spoke, "And therefore I decide. We would ask you to stay with us, and as penance, allow us to research your powers, and learn about you. Are these acceptable terms?"  
  
"I am honored."  
  
/Flash/- The Forbidden Continent  
  
He left Sashin's castle. He had lived there only six months. Then he returned from an exploration of the land. They were all dead. And all he saw was an eye. He returned to his homeland, hoping that he could visit his wife one last time. He had been gone one year.  
  
/Flash/- A hidden cave on the Mist Continent  
  
The eye. Again. Again it had taken everything. It turned to his home and killed his wife and his child. Once again he could think only of revenge. He researched it to no end. He found out more than any mortal cared to know about the strange world of Terra. But once again the unquenchable rage burned in him like fire. He stood before the void, the black void. It held fire and death. So did he. He would destroy Terra. He would kill everyone. He entered the void. He never returned to Gaia.  
  
/Flash/- The present  
  
"Until now." Akiel whispered to himself. He passed through the walls of the Invincible. He saw Zidane.  
  
What are you doing, scumbag? What happened to the angel?!" Zidane asked  
  
"Master of the Invincible, prepare to die."  
  
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That was the longest chapter I've ever written! Yes, I know it was confusing. And it was only six pages, but it's a personal record, okay! Annyway, if you don't understand anything, I'll try to repost this chapter and clear it up. But if no one reviews this chapter, it'll stay confusing! Now that I've tried blackmail, I'll turn to begging: please, please, please read and review! 


	4. The Chamber of Jupiter

A/N: Hello! I am back with another update! This time I am going deeper into the plot (I hope) Tell me if it is too confusing! Thank you for reviewing.  
  
Dragon lady 8: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so glad someone reviews!  
  
Disclaimer: If you sue me then I'll be sad  
I wrote a disclaimer so I would be glad  
I'm trying to tell you I don't own a thing  
Um, what rhymes with thing?  
  
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CHAPTER 4- The Chamber of Jupiter  
  
Tierra glided around her chamber. She would get to the girl soon enough, but for now she wanted to relax. Her attendants, some of whom had been with her for years, surrounded her doors and lined the walls.  
  
"I still find it hard to believe that Davall could get something right. Usually he's inept at best." Tierra sighed  
  
"You're right, he is an idiot, I mean, I was on his last mission and it was just ridiculous..." A soldier laughed, trying to kiss up to his boss  
  
"Stop talking, you're boring me." Tierra commanded  
  
"Davall is clueless, you were exactly right Tee." He continued.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"I really think that anyone as mighty as you deserves much...." Suddenly, he stopped talking. And breathing.  
  
"Don't ever call me 'Tee,'" She said, as her powerful magic strangled the poor soldier. "Ah, that felt good." She muttered.  
  
The soldiers scattered about, all hoping to get away from the queen. She was prowling now, like a cat, searching for a fault in anything. Luckily, her servants knew very well that perfection was the only standard in the service of her majesty. At least it was the only standard that would keep you alive. Finding no visible problem with the servants' jobs, Tierra decided that it was time to interrogate the girl.  
  
"Leave. I must discuss something with the girl, bring her to me." She instructed. They quickly complied.  
  
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"The angel? What the..."  
  
"Master of the Invincible, the demon-ship, prepare to die."  
  
"What did you do with the angel?" Zidane asked calmly, and then added, "You don't want to fight anyone." It was more of a threat then a command  
  
"What you have brought upon my house cannot be forgiven. I shall fell you in honorable battle, so that vengeance mandated me by my soul might be fulfilled, and then let the gods come upon me with fury, but still the master of the Invincible shall die!" Akiel announced  
  
"Master of the Invincible? That's Garland, he's already dead!" Zidane replied  
  
"I know of no Garland. I know only of this demon-ship and it's evils. And do you deny that it bends unto your will?"  
  
"What's it to you?"  
  
"We shall have no more talk. Now is the moment for vengeance!"  
  
With that Akiel leaped at Zidane with the fury of a tiger. Zidane dodged and ran behind him. Faster than Zidane could comprehend, Akiel turned and punched him in the face.  
  
"Damn you! Get off me!" Zidane screamed, "Before I have to hurt..."  
  
Again, Akiel slammed his fist into Zidane's defenseless face. Zidane rolled away and Akiel's fist struck the cold steel of the Invincible's floor. He tore a hole in it.  
  
"I have no time for games!" Akiel screamed  
  
"Neither do I. Get out of my way!" Zidane countered, both in word and with his Exploda, which was hidden on the ship. Akiel staggered from the force of the blow, then quickly composed himself. Fire erupted from his palms and blasted towards Zidane. In less than a second the fire changed to shards of ice. Akiel ran in circles around Zidane, pummeling him with black magic from every side.  
  
"Die." He said  
  
"Never." Zidane replied  
  
Zidane came at him again, this time with two strikes to his head. Zidane then tripped him and stood over him, weapon inches above his head. Once again, fire exploded from Akiel's hands. But Zidane was too fast. He leaped into the air, and then brought his sword down upon his nemesis. Akiel fell. His head felt as though it was splitting apart. But he would never give up.  
  
"Give up, you're beaten. I don't want to kill you." Zidane declared  
  
"Never." Akiel retorted. He then closed his eyes, and got a far-away, unearthly look around him. He raised his arms and shouted,  
  
"Shiva!"  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
"Garnet, Queen of Alexandria, the most powerful country in all of Gaia. Alive you would be a fabulous hostage." Tierra whispered in her comatose captive's ears. She seemed to be seriously considering this idea, "No, I have a much better use for you." She decided  
  
Dagger lied comatose in the black iron chamber. She had been knocked out for over five hours. Davall must have used something far too strong  
  
"Still asleep, well, I guess I'll have to wake you up." Tierra sighed. She waved her hand and white-hot magic shot from under her flowing sleeves. Garnet was stirred from her drugged half-conscious sleep, screaming in pain.  
  
"Good. It took you long enough." Tierra declared  
  
"AHHHHH!" She yelled, "What the hell? Zidane, where did you go?" Dagger choked out, her speech slurred and disoriented, "Where am I?"  
  
"In good hands, summoner." Tierra said, in a wispy, ethereal voice quite unlike her real voice  
  
"I am Queen of Alexandria. What continent are we on?" Dagger asked  
  
"We are on an island. I am your host. You were drugged, and I rescued you."  
  
"Huh? But, someone... he grabbed me, and he brought me on an airship."  
  
"That must have been a dream."  
  
"It wasn't." Dagger declared, her memory rapidly returning, "I was on an airship, and it was not in the fleet. I was in someone's arms and they left me in a corner. They were going to leave, but then somebody else came onboard. And then someone did something, and I fell asleep."  
  
"You must have hallucinated."  
  
"No I didn't. And then I saw you kill someone! You must be Tierra, that woman the man that took me was ranting about!"  
  
"Fine." Tierra conceded, back to her usual voice, "I admit. Now, since deception has failed me, maybe we should try something less subtle?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Dagger demanded.  
  
"You'll see." Tierra whispered, and with that she left the room. A host of soldiers marched in, obviously on her orders.  
  
Dagger looked about the room. It was really a prison. She could tell by the soldiers that lined the iron walls. And she needed to escape. Alexandria needed her.  
  
"Well, then," She focused inwardly. "Ifrit!" She whispered solemnly. Nothing happened. "IFRIT!" She shouted. Once again, nothing happened. Her calls to the guardians of summoners fell on deaf ears. ---------------------------------------  
  
"You're a summoner?" Zidane asked incredulously. But he had little time for musing over the identity of his attacker, as ice rained down upon him like shattered glass. Suddenly, humongous sickle-shaped shards of ice shot up all around him. He tried to flee the fury of the stalagmite onslaught, but there was no escape. He cried in pain. He felt like he was going to die.  
  
The ice reflected Akiel's rage, like his hatred was tangible. Akiel had a far stronger connection with his Eidolon than either of the two much younger summoners that Zidane had traveled with in the Genome War. There seemed to be no end to the torture Zidane went through. And Akiel loved every second of it. He stood there red-eyed, feeling all the energy of death and pain flowing within him. He hated everything but that feeling, everything. And in that moment, when his rage had eclipsed his reason to the point of insanity, the part of his brain that housed the angel screamed in agony. And his mind felt the force of the scream. It awoke him from the trance. Akiel faded back into the recesses of memory. The blood red that stained his wings faded back to pale blue. His silver hair shone out of the charred black mess that sat atop his head. The glow in his eyes faded into nothingness. And Shiva disappeared.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"My little summoner, what is wrong?" Tierra asked, as she stepped back into the room. She dismissed the soldiers with a wave of her hand  
  
"Shut up." Dagger cried. Being cut off from communication with eidolons was almost as bad as when they had been taken from her by her mother.  
  
"Well, it's of no concern to me." Tierra continued, ignoring the sobbing detainee. "You are needed in my private chambers. Get up."  
  
There was no reply.  
  
"Well, since you refuse to move by yourself..." She sighed. With a flick of her wrist, Dagger floated into the air and slid into an indentation in the iron walls. Another flick of the wrist, and the entire room closed around them. The whole room spun and rocked. Dagger felt nauseous. Tierra stood and watched the proceedings without so much as flinching. Finally everything stopped. Dagger threw up.  
  
"You'll get used to it eventually."  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"Zidane, how are you?" The angel asked  
  
"I'm fine, thanks! I just flew for hours, trying to find an angel, and instead found some weirdo that tried to kill me! So yeah, I'm just great," Zidane growled sarcastically  
  
"Stop being so stupid. I found you lying half-dead. I tried, at the very least, to help you, against my will."  
  
"Against your will?"  
  
"I can't control my wings. I was just going to find your princess, but the wings refused to let me go. Why you couldn't just lie there I don't know." The angel complained  
  
"Well, thanks, even if you didn't actually help." Zidane said, with emphasis on "you", "Did you see that red-haired freak? He was the one that nearly killed me. And I thought Eiko and Dagger were the only summoners left..."  
  
"There is another summoner?"  
  
"Duh. Wait! I have no time to talk. We've got to find Dagger." Zidane said, jumping up. That was a big mistake. He writhed in pain.  
  
"I thought you said you healed me!"  
  
"I should've just left you."  
  
"Whatever. Just get on the controls. You can sense people, can't you?" Zidane queried from a not-so-comfortable spot on the steel floor.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then let's find Dagger."  
  
-----------------------------  
  
"Now, little summoner, we have work to do." Tierra said smiling. There was bloodlust in her green eyes.  
  
"What work?" Garnet demanded  
  
"Oh, nothing that will hurt too badly." She whispered  
  
The dark chamber they found themselves in was much too ornate for just a pointless room. There was something about it, something Dagger didn't like. No one made a sound, yet the room buzzed with activity. Silent flashes of electricity flew through the air above Dagger's head. Bloodstained nails hung ominously from the green ceiling. Unseen forces contaminated the air with an evil stench that burned Dagger's nostrils. Portraits of strange creatures garlanded the walls. Dagger walked over to one of them and stoked it with her fingers. Most would find it beautiful. She thought it was horrible. The face was striking, long and proud. But deep in the eyes she saw an evil glint. The features held something in them, some secret that she did not want to know. She shuddered and turned away. Then she noticed the podiums scattered throughout the room. They were adorned with symbols that reminded her of something. She just didn't know what.  
  
"Wh-What is this place?" Dagger asked  
  
"The Chamber of Jupiter." Tierra replied  
  
"Jupiter?" Dagger wondered quietly  
  
A sudden flash of lightning struck Tierra's head. Her eyes turned white, as did her skin. And her hair. She was a ghost, pale and walking in a manner eerily like floating. Her voice dropped several octaves to a groan. Lightning flowed through her fingertips and around her hands, coating them like gloves.  
  
She croaked in a harsh tone, "I have things to do. Quiet, or I shall be forced to silence you myself." Her cat-like manner was gone. She was now nothing but a witch. Plain, simple, and evil.  
  
While Tierra busied herself with strange machines, Dagger's mind began asking the questions she could not demand of her captor. Little did she know that the captor heard her anyway. / /What the hell is going on down here? What is this woman doing? Why did she take me? Is it because I'm a summoner? //  
  
"Of course it's because you're a summoner, stupid girl! Now, shut up, unless you would prefer that I do it for you."  
  
// She read my mind! Get out of my head witch! //  
  
"I warned you, brat!" Tierra shouted, and then silenced Dagger, with a swift spell that rendered her yet again unconscious.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
Okay, there's one more chapter in the can! And by in the can, I don't mean the toilet! *Nobody is laughing* Well excuse me! I'm just trying to add a little humor! Oh, and how old was Eiko in the game? Yes, that does mean she will be in this fanfic soon.  
  
BTW, I really hope that someone besides Dragon lady 8 reads this fanfic. However, if none of the rest of you review, I might pretend I am Black Mage Dad and refuse to add more if I don't get three reviews. Not that this fanfiction is nearly as good as any of hers... (sad face) 


	5. Atropos

Hello, here's chapter 5! I have brought Eiko into the fic, and I hope that it's getting good. Also, I added a part at the end of chapter 1, as of 12\27\03, so please go back and read it, because it has something in it that will be used in the upcoming chapters.  
  
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CHAPTER 5- ATROPOS  
  
A giant airship descended upon the Outer Continent. Regent Cid and Lady Hilda stepped out of it, along with their now nine year-old adopted daughter Eiko. It was time for their annual visit to Eiko's homeland, so that she would remain connected with the land of the summoners. She was glad that it was time for the visit. Her thoughts and dreams had been wandering to the Eidolon Wall for months, like a song stuck in her head.  
  
"Come on Mom! I wanna show you something!" She shouted playfully  
  
"I'm coming, Eiko, I'm coming." Lady Hilda sighed, then turned to her husband, "You're daughter is very energetic today."  
  
"Yes, she is. I wonder what's gotten into her?" Regent Cid mused  
  
"Come on!" Eiko screamed, as she entered the village. Surprisingly, she heard no moogles. No chirping, no noise, nothing. The whole village seemed deserted.  
  
"You guys!" She shouted, as much to nonexistent moogles as her parents, "Hello, it's Eiko, your beloved queen of the moogles, returned to you from afar. HELLOOOOO! Can't you tell, it's Eiko, come out!"  
  
There was still no response.  
  
"Well, fine! Since no one wants to talk to me, I'll leave!" Eiko announced and then pretended to leave. When there was still no response she gave up. "They must be out somewhere."  
  
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The Invincible cut through the dense air above the ocean like the sharpest blade. The long point at the front of the ship was a rapier held by an invisible swordsman, slicing through the warm air. Unfortunately, their swordsman proved quite the novice. They had flown in circles for hours. Both the angel and Zidane were furious. The frustration of their futile search proved too much for Zidane.  
  
"I thought you said that you could sense people!" Zidane cried, "But we've been flying in circles for hours! I need to find my wife, NOW. Can't you find anyone at all? You didn't heal me; you didn't even bother to try to help Dagger when those freaks took her. What kind of angel-"  
  
"ZIDANE I AM TRYING TO FIND HER TOO, SO STOP BEING SO DAMN SELFISH AND SHUT UP!" The angel roared  
  
There was silence for a moment in the wake of the angel's outburst. Zidane's face held a mixture of shock, anger, and embarrassment. He finally decided on a completely different tact: humor  
  
"I didn't know angels could cuss. Isn't it unholy?" Zidane quipped  
  
"Not all angels are holy." The angel declared, with a glint in his eyes  
  
"You need a name." Zidane said suddenly, "I can't call you 'Angel' all the time!"  
  
"Whatever. I don't care what you call me."  
  
"Hmmm... I'll call you Ja."  
  
"Like I said, whatever."  
  
"So, Ja, can you sense her?"  
  
"I knew exactly where she was, but then her signal faded. I can barely get a general location."  
  
Zidane stopped talking and closed his eyes. He took the controls and thought about his beautiful wife. Instantly, the ship reacted and changed course. He opened his eyes.  
  
"She's down in those islands." Zidane declared, pointing at some small islands almost directly in the center of the ocean  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"We're pointed towards the islands. I have a connection with the Invincible through the Terran blood. I think that Garland installed it and used it to find Kuja."  
  
"You're Terran?"  
  
"Of course. Don't you read any history? The scholars have been trying to analyze me since the War."  
  
"Well, I've been kind of busy, you know, being an angel and all. I guess I need to catch up on my reading."  
  
"And why didn't you come and help in the War?"  
  
"Departmental struggle. We couldn't decide whether the Gaian angels should do it or the Terran angels." The angel joked  
  
"You couldn't beat Kuja." Zidane said perceptively  
  
"No, we couldn't." The angel admitted, "Look, we're finally getting closer to the islands."  
  
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"Wake up, brat. We have work to do now." Tierra growled in the low, gravelly voice that she had adopted since the bolt of lightning had possessed her.  
  
"What? Did you..." Dagger muttered  
  
"Shut up. I don't have time for questions. Now put this on." Tierra ordered. She handed the queen a large crown adorned with purple diamonds and rubies.  
  
"Why? I am the Queen of Alexandria, and I demand that you release me! I refuse to partake in any of your witchery."  
  
"You don't have any choice."  
  
With that a sudden flash of energy hit Dagger in the chest. It lifted her towards the ceiling and pulled her towards Tierra. Another flash of lightning shot towards the crown in Tierra's hand and placed it upon Dagger's head.  
  
"Time for the experiment." Tierra snarled  
  
"What experiment?"  
  
"No questions, girl! Do not speak. You will have little room for speech in just a moment."  
  
The lightning in the chamber increased. A swirling wind awoke in the center of the room. Loud cracks of thunder erupted. The lightning in the room gravitated towards the winds in the center. A face could be seen in the midst of growing winds. It was the proud, noble, evil face Dagger had seen in the picture. It looked like a silhouette, soft and pale as though a projector had created the image. But the image had created itself.  
  
A voice, seemingly from nowhere, pierced the quiet, scared silence, "Servant, have you brought me my kin?" The voice was cold, quiet, and chilling. Dagger tried to trace the voice to some new creature, some appearance in the room, so that she could at least see that voice which struck her heart with the minor chord of dread. She slowly began to realize that the sound was coming from the systematic flashes of booming thunder.  
  
"I believe, sire. There are but three that can carry, and thy hast four kinsman upon this planet. So I assumed..." Tierra croaked  
  
"You have not bothered to prepare her?" The thunder shouted  
  
"No, sire, I have not." Tierra whined. Her eyes showed something that no one, save the few that had heard the thunder speak, had seen. It was fear.  
  
"Forgive me." She begged, just before Dagger witnessed the lightning's anger. The face within the vortex contorted itself into a mask of fury. Lightning chained itself together, forming a powerful chain crackling with energy. It fashioned itself into a whip and struck Tierra with such force that the crack of the whip was audible over both the raging thunder and her own cry of pain.  
  
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"Eiko, darling, last time we were here weren't there more people?" Regent Cid asked  
  
"Not people, moogles! And, yeah, there were. But they'll be back." Eiko said  
  
"Are you sure?" Lady Hilda inquired  
  
"I think." Eiko answered, then bounded off towards the Eidolon Wall. She saw no sentry there.  
  
"These moogles have gotten irresponsible since I left." Eiko said, with a hint of fear in her voice. She entered the Wall area. She gazed at all the Eidolons that decorated the stone walls. She saw Bahamut, the king of dragons, Shiva, the ice princess, Ifrit, Ramuh, all of the sacred guardians of Gaia. She pointed out the ones she could summon to her bewildered parents, laughing gleefully from the sheer joy of returning home. She had learned to use most of her Eidolons during her travels with Zidane, but she had picked up a few since then. As she aged, she began to experiment with more summon jewels, and, to her surprise, more summons became available to her. She developed her summon powers on the plains outside Lindblum, and grew as a summoner. Back in the times of ancient Madian Sari, she could have become a shaman, or a priestess of the ancient religion practiced by its inhabitants. Of course, she knew little about the old customs of Madain Sari, as she had been very young when her last link to the old customs had been cut.  
  
"Still no moogles..." She whispered  
  
"Eiko, shall we stay here tonight?" Regent Cid posed  
  
"Can we, can we, can we, can we, can we?" Eiko begged, jumping up and down  
  
"Well... Hilda? Can we?" He asked his wife  
  
"The duties of a Regent are vast. You have several meetings to attend, your subjects need to be addressed, and you are still working on the Hilda Garde 4! So do you really think that you should be participating in sleepovers in some faraway country, even if it is your daughter's homeland?"  
  
"Can we, can we, can we, can we, can we?" Regent Cid begged, mimicking his daughter, who soon caught on and began begging as well.  
  
"Oh, fine." Hilda relented  
  
"HURRAY!" Eiko shouted  
  
"Oh, sometimes I can't tell which one of you is eight and which one of you is fifty- "  
  
Regent Cid put a hand to his wife's mouth. "Shush, dear, you never know who's listening."  
  
"Cid, Cid, Cid."  
  
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"Are you completely healed, Zidane?" Ja asked  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just gotta go get something."  
  
"You don't have time to look for anything! We have to find Garnet, before something happens to her!"  
  
Zidane was already gone. He returned seconds later with an insanely long sword, brandishing it exceptionally well for it's size.  
  
"What is that?" Ja inquired  
  
"Ultima Weapon. Should be of some use, in case we have to fight." Zidane answered  
  
"We will."  
  
"How do you... Never mind." Zidane said, knowing that it would be better not to ask.  
  
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Eiko was surrounded by the beauty of the Eidolon Wall. It blazed with a holy fire, quite unlike the one of long ago, when Madain Sari had been attacked. It glowed invitingly, full of colors and light. It made her feel light and free, and, to her surprise, she found herself able to fly to the top of the wall, to be closer to the beautiful blaze. She sighed in wonderment. Then, the flames changed. They became black fire, terrible and frightening. Eiko did not move off her spot on the wall. She simply stood there, transfixed and unable to think straight. The fire suddenly flew off the Eidolon Wall, taking the shape of a huge raven of the night. It flew on the swiftest currents, south towards the Mist Continent. It stopped abruptly and took off towards the center of the ocean. It took with it a young man, whom Eiko could not identify. The man's eyes were wide with fear. Eiko could not bear to look at them. She glided down to the ground and turned her gaze back to the Eidolon Wall, which was decimated. Various pieces of the pictures of Eidolons lied strewn upon the ground...  
  
Eiko awoke, screaming.  
  
"Eiko, are you okay?" Lady Hilda asked frantically, as she dashed into Eiko's makeshift bedroom, which was formerly the cavern below the kitchen.  
  
"I'm fine, mom." She answered  
  
"Thank goodness!" Regent Cid exclaimed, as he too made his way into the room, "We thought someone attacked you."  
  
"No, I'm fine." She answered brightly  
  
"Well, okay. Go back to bed then." Cid instructed  
  
"Goodnight." Eiko said. But she remained awake. She thought about the moogles, and how they had not yet returned from wherever they have gone. She quaked with silent fear for her friends. But that thought led her back to worrying about the Wall again. With no moogles it was unprotected, and even if it was a time of apparent peace for Gaia, She was thinking about the Wall again. She barely noticed herself leaving the room and carefully walking towards the Eidolon Wall. A force guided her, much like the one that had led Garnet when Alexandria was attacked. But this was not the doing of a benevolent Eidolon saving its homeland. This energy felt more malicious, yet it was light, pleasing. She allowed it to carry her to the Eidolon Wall. Soon, a quiet voice began singing in her ear. It was a wild, free melody that gave Eiko a sense of carelessness, as if there was nothing in the world besides the force that escorted her. She finally reached the wall. All was as it was earlier that day, save for a fog that had descended on the Wall, and a humongous black raven perched above the stone carving Bahamut's left wing.  
  
"What am I doing here?" She asked herself  
  
"I called you." A voice whispered  
  
"What the heck?! Who's there?" Eiko asked  
  
She received no answer, save a refrain of the wild melody. She instantly became entranced.  
  
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Dagger looked on, horrified. She was filled to the core with utter terror and dread. She wanted nothing more than to escape from the horrible room, which was now rank with the stench of burnt flesh. Suddenly, the face in the vortex changed again, back to a calm state, and the lightning that had comprised the whip dissipated, leaving a weeping Tierra crouched on the cold floor  
  
The voice spoke again, this time demanding, "Now, servant, when I have ordered you to prepare the vessels, you shall prepare them correctly, shall you not?"  
  
Tierra quickly replied, "Yes, Lord Jupiter. I shall," through sobs of pain and agony.  
  
"Now, we shall undergo the ceremony. If the girl does not carry my kin, then you are to execute her. Present her now to me as my daughter." The thunder commanding  
  
"She w-wears the crown of-of your daughters, lord. Her powers are b-bound, save only the power to access your d-d-daughters. She is prepared." Tierra choked, then, stabilizing herself slightly she finished, "I present now your daughter, that you may be pleased." She then turned to Dagger she uttered in a harsh whisper, "Walk into the winds, fool!"  
  
Dagger slowly and unwillingly obeyed.  
  
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Eiko stood at the Eidolon Wall, with all her senses dulled as if she was drunk. Finally the melody stopped, and a soothing voice arose in its place, cooing, "Do you see the lovely pendant in the center?"  
  
Eiko glanced at the pedestal in the center of the Wall area. "Yes, I see it." she answered, all inhibitions she might have had about an unearthly voice now dulled to the point of futility.  
  
"Take it." The voice whispered in her ear  
  
She took a few steps closer to the pendant and gazed at it happily. "Oh, it's so beautiful!" she exclaimed  
  
A long chain with an onyx stone at the end sat on the pedestal in the center of the Wall area. The chain appeared to Eiko as handcrafted solid gold. It was actually hammered steel. The onyx stone looked perfectly round, with no blemishes or markings of any kind. It was actually rather dingy and had quite a few dents. Eiko soon realized it was a necklace, and went over to pick it up. However, when her hands were about to clasp upon the necklace, a sudden rustling of the wind sent it out of her grasp.  
  
"Before you take the pendant of Lady Atropos, swear to me that you shall treasure the freedom from the inevitable."  
  
"Um, sure. But what is an Atropos?"  
  
"I am."  
  
"Oh! And you're an Eidolon! You want to be my Eidolon?"  
  
"If that is how you phrase the name of the ancient guardians, then yes."  
  
"Cool! I promise I'll take good care of you."  
  
"That is very reassuring. Now take the pendant."  
  
Eiko picked up the necklace, and quickly fastened it around her neck. She didn't have to clasp it, because it just slid over her head, and when it rested on her neck, it slimmed itself. Normally Eiko would have inquired about the moogles, or questioned the Eidolon, but the melody still burned fierce in her ears. She was drugged by it, and allowed herself to exist in a half-conscious state, being led by the power of suggestion almost as much, if not more, as her own brain. She beamed broadly at the thought of a new Eidolon as well as a piece of beautiful jewelry.  
  
"Thanks." She said, and ran back to her room, before her parents would notice that she was gone. She did not notice the raven that had lied perched upon the wall had spread its black wings, and took to the sky on the mighty currents, towards Lindblum.  
  
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I've noticed something. My pacing sucks. I rush into the story too quickly. Do any of the more experienced fanfiction writers have any tips, 'cause I really, really need some. Oh, and I'm sorry I tried to demand reviews. This is my first FF fanfic (unlike BMD who has several) and it was stupid to demand them. I'm lucky that those of you who read this fanfiction do, and I want you to know that I'm thankful for all 5 of you, and I don't care if no one reviews. Except for that part about help, because my pacing really does suck...  
  
Anyway, I want to thank you for reading! I'll try to post again sooner than this time. 


	6. Return

Author Note: Just something about the time in the story. Madain Sari and Tierra's island are in two different time zones. The way I figure it, Zidane, Ja, Dagger, and Tierra are all about four hours ahead of Eiko in Madain Sari. So, when she had the dream and got out of bed, if it was midnight there, it would have been eight in Tierra's island's time zone. At the end of chapter 5, Zidane has been searching for Dagger about eight hours. Confused yet? Basically, the reason Zid and crew haven't slept, but Eiko has is because the time zones are different. Just wanted to clear that up, because I thought it was confusing.  
  
DL8: Thank you 4 reviewing so much! I was starting to get a little discouraged, and that quote helped. Thx!  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
LK: Do I really have to do this again?  
  
Little voice in his head: Yes, you do, or FF.net will get sued  
  
LK: Who cares?  
  
Voice: You might get sued too  
  
LK: OHHHHH! *quickly writes disclaimer* I DON'T OWN FINAL FANTASY. I WISH I DID. I DO OWN THE PLOT AND A FEW CHARACTERS. Actually I haven't copyrighted anything, so it'll be tough to sue anyone who tries to steal this...  
  
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CHAPTER 6- RETURN  
  
Everything inside Dagger was in pain. She wasn't really hurt, but the cold dread, agony, and helplessness seemed to combine in a pain worse than pain. She was facing her death and there was nothing she could do about it. The cold crackling aura of pain and suffering filled the chamber, competing with the lightning and the still-lingering stench of Tierra's burnt skin for the title of dominant energy, pulsating and searing Dagger's soul like a whip. It came from the center of the vortex, as though it was the breath of the sinister face Dagger edged ever closer to. An objective observer would have laughed at the cliché, but the seconds it took for her to approach the face of Jupiter truly seemed like hours to her. Finally, she stood before the swirling winds, somehow holding herself upright against the gusts.  
  
"She has no horn." The thunder boomed, "Why have you brought me one with no horn?"  
  
Tierra's knees began to quake, and she quickly came up with an excuse, "I can speak to thyself, me having no horn..."  
  
"You have failed yet again. Nearly a millennia ago you came into my service, and you failed to find my children. It has been nineteen years since the fall of the summoners. It has been nineteen since their charms and protections fell. Yet is has also been nineteen years since you have brought me a summoner. I have been patient, awaiting my children, but now you present to me one with no horn? You take my gifts to you, and in return you insult me? Do you think me a fool?" The thunder roared.  
  
"N-No! The girl is a summoner! Please, master, if you would just test her, I know..." Tierra whined, managing to sound pitiful even with her gravelly voice.  
  
"I shall."  
  
Garnet then did something at once more foolish and more brilliant than anything she had done since the beginning of her nightmarish captivity. She tried again to summon. And this time it worked. The wizened old form of Ramuh descended upon the chamber. He began to bend the lightning towards the sinister face in the center of the vortex. Ramuh's energy pressed against the evil-charged air, replacing it with a more positive quality. Dagger had much better communication with the Eidolon than she had three years ago, during her travels with Zidane. Now it could feel her distress, and responded with additional power drawn from some unseen well far away in the realm of Eidolons. That extra might, combined with the element of surprise, allowed Ramuh to easily overcome the darkness in the room, and seize control of the electric energy in the room. The vortex, along with its ominous visitor, faded away. Tierra's link was broken. She came out of her trance to see the Eidolon glowering at her menacingly.  
  
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"I can feel her, she's close." Ja muttered  
  
"No, really," Zidane responded irritably, "they would never keep a prisoner in a giant fortress like this!" Ja ignored his comment.  
  
It had been nearly twelve hours since he left Alexandria. Twelve hours with very little rest. An unexpectedly alert Zidane stood on the banks of Tierra's island, wighing that he had brought reinforcements. A castle spanned nearly the entire island, with walls that were obviously fortified by an insanely powerful Protect Spell. No sentries or guards were present, so obviously the owner of the castle assumed that the Protect spell that sealed the wall would be more than sufficient.  
  
Zidane, never the one for a careful approach, lunged at the wall with his Ultima Weapon. The blade glanced off the glittering surface of the barrier. After a few more futile strikes, Zidane determined that the weapon was not going not penetrate the barricade Since his first approach had failed, Zidane tried to think of an alternate method of entry to the castle. He decided that it would be best to fight magic with magic and searched his mind, trying to remember which spell countered Protect.  
  
"Ja, can you cast Dispel?" Zidane asked, finally remembering that dispel counteracted the magic of Protect. Once again Ja ignored him. He seemed to be focusing on some far off point, which was consuming all of his attentions. Zidane repeated his question, but once again he received no response. He wondered briefly if someone in the distance had cast Firaga, because the air around him seemed to be warming rapidly. He dismissed the thought. Ja continued to stare blankly towards the center of the fortress, as if he could see something past the cold stone walls.  
  
"JA! PAY SOME DAMN ATTENTION! CAN YOU CAST DISPEL?" Zidane roared. Still no response. Zidane began to draw the Ultima Weapon, in the hopes that it could remind Ja where he was.  
  
Just as Zidane was about to bring his weapon down on Ja's head, he released a blood-curdling scream. Zidane searched for the source of his companion's distress, but he found none. He found something worse. Like a fire consuming Ja's soft, almost powder blue feathers, a blood red tint spread through his wings. His eyes changed color to match his wings. A fire exploded under him, consuming him, charring his hair and his clothes. In a matter of seconds Ja had become Akiel.  
  
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Just as Ramuh was about to force the power of lightning upon Tierra, Dagger's link with her Eidolons was cut and Ramuh disappeared. Tierra's breath was haggard, she looked as if she was about to faint. However, she stood herself upright and cast a Cure spell on herself, then began her arduous task again, preparing to summon the thunder again.  
  
Dagger sat aghast. She had the most powerful link she with an Eidolon that she had ever experienced, and suddenly she was deprived of communications with the Eidolons again. It was a strange sort of seperation anxiety. The Eidolons were her link with parents she never knew, the only thing that associated her with the ancient customs of Madain Sari.  
  
She began to consider her options. There wasn't much that she could do, except sit there and hope that someone would rescue her. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry; she was the queen of one of the most powerful territories on the continent, and still, she was always the one being rescued. And Zidane was always the rescuer.  
  
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Zidane wasted no time after seeing Akiel, who he thought to be insane. His mind worked quickly. Maybe if Akiel attacked the barrier, it would fall. It was worth a try. Zidane pinned himself against the wall surrounding the castle.  
  
"Come and get me." He taunted. There was no need for his plan, as Akiel ignored him, and shot through the gate like a bolt of lightning, leaving an angel sized hole in the wall.  
  
"Thanks." Zidane muttered, before climbing through the hold made by Akiel, prepared for battle.  
  
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Yeah, that chapter was short. And bad. But please keep reading, 'cause there's another battle scene coming up soon. 


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